Chao Zhang-江苏大学机械工程学院

　　Name: Chao Zhang

　　Ph. D, Associate professor, Master supervisor

　　Address: Room B505, School of Mechanical Engineering

　　Phone: (86) 15195988142

　　Fax: /

　　E-mail: zhangchao@ujs.edu.cn

Education

2008-2013 Ph.D, Engineering Mechanics, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, China
2004-2008 B.S, Aircraft Design and Engineering, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, China

Professional Experience

2019-Present Associate professor, School of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University, China
2017-2018 Visiting Scholar, University of Sheffield, United Kingdom
2018-2020 Postdoc, Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University, China
2014-2019 Lecturer, School of Mechanical Engineering, Jiangsu University, China

Social Academic Post

Reviewers of more than 30 journals

Research Interests

1. Finite Element Analysis of Damage Mechanism of Composite Structures under High and Low Velocity Impact: In order to reduce the structural weight and increase the flexibility of the aircraft, laminated composite structures have been widely used in the aerospace industry because of their high performance-weight ratio. However, poor out-of-plane properties, low damage tolerance and low delamination resistance have significantly restricted their applications in primary-loading components. Delamination is the main damage mechanism of laminated composites under impact loading, which can cause obvious degradation of material mechanical properties. In recent years, 3D braided composites have received much attention due to their excellent advantages over the laminated composites. The distinct feature of 3D braided composites is an integrated near-net-shape structure to provide outstanding through-thickness properties and prevent delamination under ballistic impact loading. Owing to these prominent merits, 3D braided composites are believed to have broad potential applications in military aircrafts, armor vehicles and protective structures.
Physical impact experiments are expensive, time-consuming, and confined to certain structural parameters and certain impact conditions. However, less limitation exists in the impact simulation by using finite element method. Thus, we employ finite element modeling to study the impact damage behavior of composite structures, as shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2.

Fig. 1 Low velocity impact process of cross-ply composite laminates under certain impact energy (a) t = 0.05 ms (b) t = 0.7 ms (c) t = 1.4 ms (d) t = 2.1 ms (e) t = 3.5ms (f) t = 5.0 ms

Fig. 2 Ballistic penetration process of the flat projectile in the 3D braided composite target plate (a) t=1µs (b) t=3µs (c) t=6µs (d) t=8µs (e) t=11µs (f) t=40µs
2. Meso-scale Finite Element Analysis of Mechanical Behavior of 3D Braided Composites Subjected to Different Loading Cases:Owing to the good structural periodicity of 3D braided composites, the meso-scale finite element model (FEM) is commonly used to predict the mechanical properties by establishing a periodic representative volume element (RVE) or a unit-cell model. Generally, the route of meso-scale FEM is as follows: (1) Analyze the meso-structure of material and create a suitable unit-cell model, (2) Establish the appropriate constitutive relations of constituents, (3) Impose reasonable periodic boundary conditions and investigate the mechanical response of the unit-cell structure, (4) Predict the macro-mechanical properties of the composite material by homogenization approach. By using meso-scale FEM, not only the overall properties of the composite material but also the damage characteristics and failure modes, can be obtained and analyzed. Consequently, meso-scale FEM is considered as the most economical and effective numerical method to study the mechanical behavior of 3D braided composites. In this field, we have published many high level papers, including the establishment of microstructure models, the prediction of stiffness and strength properties, and the investigation of damage and failure mechanisms under various loading cases, as displayed in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4. We will continue this topic considering the effects of temperature, load mode, interface and other related factors by meso-scale FE modelling.

Fig. 3 Structure models of three different unit-cells (a) Interior unit-cell (b) Surface unit-cell (c) Corner unit-cell

Fig. 4 Damage evolution process of unit-cell of 3D braided composites under different axial strains (a) Interface debonding (b) Yarn LT tensile shear failure (c) Matrix cracking
3. Extended Finite Element Method (XFEM) for Fracture Analysis of Composite Structures:This is a new research topic of cooperation with Dr. Curiel-Sosa Jose L in University of Sheffield.
4. Numerical modeling and FE analysis on machining of Composite Structures:This is a new research topic of cooperation with Dr. Curiel-Sosa Jose L in University of Sheffield.

Teaching Courses

1. Engineering drawing (Undergraduate course)
2. Finite element method of mechanical structure (Undergraduate course)

Honours and Awards

1. Third prize in the 8th Teaching Competition of Jiangsu University, 2016

Main Research Projects

1. (Cooperation project) Investigation on several fundamental problems in the development of Bridging Model (11832014). National Natural Science Foundation of China, 2019-2023.
2. Meso analysis of tension-tension fatigue characteristics and failure mechanism of 3D braided composites (BK20180855). Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, 2018-2021
3. Damage mechanism and strength properties of 3D braided composites under complex loadings (MCMS-E-0219Y01). Research Fund of State Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control of Mechanical Structures, 2019-2021.
4. Meso-scale analysis of interface stress transfer and interface damage mechanism of 3D braided composites (2018M640459). China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, 2019-2020.
5. Meso-scale analysis of interfacial damage mechanism of 3D multi-directional braided composites (17KJB130004). Natural Science Research Project of Colleges and Universities in Jiangsu Province, 2017-2019

Main Scientific Publications (Recent five years)

1. Zhang Chao*, Liu Jianchun, Tinh Quoc Bui, Curiel-Sosa Jose L, Lu Jinzhong. A computational approach with surface-based cohesive contact for meso-scale interface damage simulation in 3D braided composites. Journal of Industrial, 2021, DOI: 10.1177/1528083720980171.
2. Mao Chunjian, Zhang Chao*. Numerical analysis of influence factors on low-velocity impact damage of stitched composite laminates. Mechanics of Advanced Materials and Structures, 2020, 27(12): 1019-1028.
3. Zhang Chao*, Zhu Qian, Curiel-Sosa Jose L, Tinh Quoc Bui. Ballistic performance and damage simulation of fiber metal laminates under high-velocity oblique impact. International Journal of Damage Mechanics, 2020, 29(7): 1011-1034.
4. Zhu Qian, Zhang Chao*, Curiel-Sosa Jose L, Bui Tinh Quoc, Xu Xiaojing. Finite element simulation of damage in fiber metal laminates under high velocity impact by projectiles with different shapes. Composite Structures, 2019, 214: 73-82.
5. Zhang Chao*, Curiel-Sosa Jose L, Bui Tinh Quoc. Meso-scale finite element analysis of mechanical behavior of 3D braided composites subjected to biaxial tension loadings. Applied Composite Materials, 2019, 26(1): 139-157.
6. Zhang Chao*, Curiel-Sosa Jose L, Bui Tinh Quoc. Meso-scale progressive damage modeling and life prediction of 3D braided composites under fatigue tension loading. Composite Structures, 2018, 201: 62-71.
7. Zhang Chao*, Duodu Enock A, Gu Jinan. Finite element modeling of damage development in cross-ply composite laminates subjected to low velocity impact. Composite Structures, 2017, 173: 219-227.
8. Zhang Chao*, Curiel-Sosa Jose L, Duodu Enock A. Finite element analysis of the damage mechanism of 3D braided composites under high-velocity impact. Journal of Materials Science, 2017, 52(8): 4658-4674.
9. Zhang Chao*, Curiel-Sosa Jose L, Bui Tinh Quoc. A novel interface constitutive model for prediction of stiffness and strength in 3D braided composites. Composite Structures, 2017, 163: 32-43.
10. Zhang Chao*, Curiel-Sosa Jose L, Bui Tinh Quoc. Comparison of periodic mesh and free mesh on the mechanical properties prediction of 3D braided composites. Composite Structures, 2017, 159: 667-676.

Patents

1. Zhang C, Heng JL, Wang GF, Yang HB, Yang ZX, A three-dimensional rotating ball pair mechanism with free adjustment, China Patent, No. ZL 201811539070.9, Aug. 03, 2021.

Plan for Overseas Master & Ph. D

One to two Masters